Walker promises $6.4B for transportation

Republican Gov. Scott Walker said his executive budget will include billions of dollars for transportation infrastructure.

In a news release Friday, the governor's office said the budget will invest $6.4 billion in transportation, including $824 million in new money.

The funds will include money for freight rail, roads, bridges, airports and highways, Walker said. In a news conference Friday, Walker said the money was part of a state surplus.

Speaking to employees at Baraboo’s Seneca Foods, Walker said $10 million will provide grants to improve commercial harbors, $55 million will fund routine maintenance and $3 million will go to the state patrol for recruit training.

"The reason we can do that, two years ago remember we had a $3.6 billion budget deficit and we had to make some tough decisions," Walker said. "But they proved to be wise decisions because today, instead of a $3.6 billion deficit, we have a surplus that is almost half a billion dollars and we have revenue growth projected for the next two years."

A bipartisan task force recommended last month that the state should raise gas taxes and impose new mileage-based registration fees, but Republican leaders rejected both ideas.